it clowns around. not as easy as it looks. you are watching "world news now."

♪ tears of a clown >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by woolite every day. save them. woolite everyday, cleans your jeans and won't torture your tanks. woolite washed clothes look like new, longer. with command strips from 3m. designed to stick and eliminate odors anywhere.

like this overflowing trashcan. to test it, we brought in the scott family. so what do you smell? beach house and you're looking out over the ocean. some place like, uh, hawaii in like a flower field. take your blindfolds off. aw man! [ screams ] [ laughs ] that smells good. i wouldn't even just put it in the trash, i'd put it in every room. stick it to eliminate odors anywhere. new febreze stick & refresh. breathe happy. stick it to eliminate odors anywhere. given way to sleeping. tossing and turning have where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression,

including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com there's a land of restful sleep, we can help you go there, on the wings of lunesta. it's healthier, ammonia-free.

and with aloe, vitamin e, and coconut oil, my hair looks healthier than before i colored. i switched. you should too, to natural instincts.

>> fascinating documentary profiles four survivors of plane crashes the subjects in the film were sole survivors of larger crashes. >> everyone considers them the lucky ones. the filmmaker found they, too, are victims. alex perez reports. >> reporter: 1987, northwest airlines flight, 255 crashing minutes after taking off from detroit's metro airport. killing 156, and leaving behind one tiny, 4-year-old miracle. at first authorities were adamant no passengers survived. the whole world is rooting for cecelia. >> she lost her mother, father and 6-year-old brother in the crash. now 26 years later she is telling her story. >> i think about the accident, every day. it's kind of hard not to think about it. when i look in the mirror, i have visual scars. >> reporter: sole survivor follows cecelia and three

others. she has no memory of the crash but cannot forget the moment she understood. i remember feeling angry, survivors' guilt. why didn't my brother survive? why me? it is believed she survived because her mother shielding her. one of the reasons kids have a better chance of surviving crashes than adults. also, their bones are less brittle more able to absorb impact. when it comes to the sole survivors of crashes more than half are children. cecilia is now cecilia crocker and happily married. flies regularly and even got this tattoo of a plane on her wrist. >> so many things on my body against my will and i decided to put this on my body for myself. >> reporter: turning tragedy into a life of triumph.

abc news, detroit. >> raised by her aunt and uncle, who shielded her completely from any media, which is why she is just now telling her story. that is a tough story to tell. >> truly amazing. >> quite an amazing girl. coming up, serious criticism aim aed at commercial clowns. >> why commercial clowns frown

♪ ♪ ♪ tears of a clown >> here is a question for you, the season of graduations what happens to all the kids who spend most of their time in class clowning around.

>> here is the answer, for people who want to get serious, there is a clown conservatory in san francisco. we are "up all "nightline"" with nick watt. >> reporter: here at the clown school here in san francisco >> saturday shows, hamburger salesmen have made the clown castrated if i can use the word. >> reporter: castrated the clown. >> we want to expand what people imagine for a clown. >> reporter: dan and joe run this place. they're taking the license, provided for centuries by the costumes and red nose. and messing with it. >> the clown recognizes no rules or boundaries. the clown can go anywhere.

>> reporter: the freedom that taking on the clown persona gives you. >> absolutely. >> reporter: if you do it well. >> i want to see you have a tantrum with delight. the will to delight the audience to make us want to see you. >> reporter: who are the students ponying up nearly $10,000 for intensive 20-week course in clowning. slapped knees of the masters. >> we'll train any one that comes. you walk through the door. we'll teach you clown. that's our job. >> derek is 30 years old. his first taste of clowning was in his early 20s. he meandered a little since. clowning is his calling in life. so dedicated to his calling. he is living in his van for the duration of the course. >> the clown is within everyone. like an intergalactic explorer. for me someone who can take chances, take risks, make fun of themselves. >> a few months ago, leah was a high school junior, dreaming of

college. i think the plastic four like. >> clown is innocence and honesty. an entertainer who could look at a sea full of people and make them feel things they're too afraid to feel. >> reporter: when in san francisco, i decided to do as the san franciscans do. >> one of us! one of us! one of us! >> reporter: no! you know, comedy is harder than tragedy and all that? i'm nick watt for "nightline," in san francisco. >> so, john, is a juggling connoisseur. >> i can juggle. we don't have anything to juggle. >> you have been offered all kind of things. has to be the right size. >> yeah, juggle a coffee cup, stapler, piece of paper. it has to weigh the same and it has to be round. >> you have to go to clown school to master your juggling. we have already been to clown school, can't you see? >> pretty good. not so bad. >> going to clown school, learn to clown, slapstick, mime,

circus skills. all the things you need to know. >> mime scares me. coming up, spouses who cheat on spouses when it comes to netflix. coming up. spouses who cheat on spouses when it comes to knenetflix. anyway, so my mom sent us these tide boost thingies to put in the wash with tide. together they're like twice as strong. yeah. so it's like bye bye stains, hello perfection. what? [ chuckles ] [ female announcer ] together, tide and tide boost double your power against stains that's my tide what's yours?

double your power against stains given way to sleeping. tossing and turning have where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com there's a land of restful sleep, we can help you go there,

on the wings of lunesta. time for "the mix." diana hatch you committed adultery? >> i have not. >> netflix adultery. >> guilty. >> guilty? they're studying netflix adultery. in a study of 2,000 americans 12% watched tv ahead of their shows with their partners. supposed to save it for the partners. watched together. watched before the partner could watch. 10%, victims of netflix adultery. 2% are blissfully unaware or partners are cheating multiple times. multiple cheaters. >> worst you have been caught. i have no idea what is happening next. i don't know what the end of it is at all. >> 14% feel guilty. they confess.is

couldn't wait. honesty the best policy. >> guess so. moving on to the incredible mcdonald's worker says that her car was stolen. right outside her home. goes to work manning the drive-through window. guess what pulls up, her stolen car. incredible. calls the cop. 22-year-old woman driving arrested. all stolen clothes in the car. she gets hauled off to jail, as you can expect. polka coming up! ♪ politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ scraps and filler from the day long as we don't have to pay ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so turn on "world news now" and lets everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal ♪

♪ do the "world news" polka everybody! ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ basic cable customers only ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's no viral video that people play and play it's more like an infection you can't make go away ♪ ♪ listen once to this refrain and it's burned into your brain ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ but it's true at any cost we'd be desperate, we'd be lost without the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's the world news dah-dah-dah polka ♪

this morning on "world news now," texas turmoil. the wide path of destruction and the search for those missing after a deadly outbreak of tornados outside dallas. legal fireworks. the sudden twist in the o.j. simpson case. who is testifying as simpson's legal team push for a new trial in las vegas. unforgettable scene. what this young mother did for a few moments while her daughter's stroller rolled off the subway platform. an explanation from a frantic and grateful mom. career decisions. soccer star david beckham, why he is making a drastic move after so many years as a pro athlete. enjoying the spotlight. that's in the "the skinny" on this friday, may 17th.

>> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now" with john muller and diana perez. and we begin this half-hour in texas where they're picking up the pieces after the deadly twisters some of the most powerful winds were close to 200 miles an hour. >> the area faces a threat of more severe weather today. here is abc's steve osunsami. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: the latest pictures deadly tornados that tore through texas are frightening and amazing. >> oh, my god! look at it, right above us. >> reporter: the pounding, giant hail. [ indiscernible ] >> the biggest i have ever seen. >> we have casualties and severe injuries we have multiple houses that are no longer there. >> reporter: police searching door to door. burning up the radio. >> we are going to need as many units as we can, we're going to have to dual search-and-rescue. >> reporter: families were trapped in their homes. six people were killed. 70 survivors sent to hospitals. >> there is a young girl, she

was sucked out of her house. >> crazy. >> reporter: when the sun rose and she looked around -- >> it is amazing that nobody got hurt or killed. >> reporter: lisa montgomery said a prayer of thanks the tornado tore her home to pieces but she and her grandson hid in a bathroom and made it out alive. >> the door, i just like, shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking really bad. >> granbury suffered the most, a subdivision of homes many built for the poor by volunteers were wiped out by the twister. investigators say it was an ef 4 with wind speed nearly 200 miles an hour. in cleburne, 23 miles southeast, we heard from the naeshzal weather service who thinks there may have been two tornadoes here. the most vicious, an ef 3, wind speeds 150 miles an hour. it almost missed the city then changed its mind. >> when it got past the city it turned to the left and headed north and towards cleburne. >> reporter: ken polegna and his

f family were in the way. >> still kind of shocked. >> reporter: they lost everything. the utility companies are here. the power companies are here. getting the lights turned back on. the recovery starts now. it is not over yet, still watches and warnings in louisiana. steve osunsami, abc news. cleburne, texas. >> here is a look at your weather now -- big chunk of the country will see wet weather. showers from virginia south to the gulf. severe storms from new orleans north to the great lakes. west into the dakotas. showers in the pacific northwest. >> scorcher across the south. temperatures in the high 90s in phoenix. nearing 100 in parts of texas. high 80s everywhere else. mid 70s here in the northeast. jurors in the jodi arias sentencing trial cried during testimony from the victims' family. travis alexander's siblings describing how their lives are torn apart when he was murdered. his sister broke down on the stand.

>> travis was our strength. our constant beacon of hope. our motivation. and his presence has been ripped from our lives. >> now the penalty phase of the trial is set to resume monday when arias is expected to address jurors. final arguments set for today in a hearing that will determine if o.j. simpson gets a new trial in his arm aed robbery and kidnapping case. but before the final arguments, expect fireworks from simpson's former attorney and surprise witness. here is brandi hitt. >> reporter: seconds after the last witness left the stand thursday a new development was revealed in the o.j. simpson hearing. a last-minute witness could take the stand for the clark county district attorney's office. >> they're talking about potential witness which we object to. >> reporter: simpson's attorneys left the courthouse without speaking to reporters about who the witness is or what they may reveal. as simpson fights for a new

trial for his 2008 armed robbery and kidnapping conviction. >> i didn't break into anybody's room. i didn't beat up any guy. the guy acknowledged it was my stuff. >> reporter: handcuffed to the stand the 65-year-old testified wednesday, his former lead attorney, yale galanter mishandled his case and never advised simpson he had a legal right to confront two men who return his own sports memorabilia. >> did you trust mr. galanter? >> yes. >> reporter: expected to be high drama in court with galanter scheduled to testify. >> his reputation is on the line. simpson claims galanter never told him of a plea deal proposed by the prosecution. he has spent four years behind bars of a sentence that could last 33 years. >> he has got a pretty compelling case. that he was not defended properly. so it will be ultimately a credibility contest. >> reporter: the attorneys are meeting early this morning in

the judge's chambers and will soy. brandi hitt, abc news, las vegas. >> the investigation into last month's deadly explosion at a texas fertilizer plant is now complete. the cause declared undetermined. investigators have narrowed the possible number of causes to three. electrical problem at the plant, golf cart battery that may have ignited flammable materials or criminal act. the april 17th blast killed 15 people, injured 200 others. virtually leveled the small town of west. >> we are hearing from the mother of that child in philadelphia whose stroller accident has been seen around the world. this happened wednesday at one of philly's elevated subway stations. the stroller rolling on to the tracks. carrying a 14-month-old girl, she suffered minor bumps and bruises. her mom is ecstatic her daughter wasn't seriously hurt. >> she is doing a lot better. a lot better than it actually looks.

so, yeah, i am extremely happy. and very much blessed. >> how cute is that little girl? she said it happened in a split second. the stroller rolled away when she turned around to look at the clock. the stroller moved. the platform is slanted towards the track to allow the rain water to drain off. i got a better idea. >> hardest individually to -- video to watch. >> so hard. >> angle rain water the other way and have a grate that goes down. >> she is apparently saying she would have preferred the transit system had, had a sign posted some where that says hey it is slanted. you know, careful. if you have got a stroller. transit workers are saying how about this, lock your stroller. how about that? >> lock the stroller. that's the moral of the story, right. >> i can't see the video again. now she has spoken. let's move on. here is a highlight that makes resident mets' fan, john muller happier this morning. happened yesterday afternoon. mets' victory in saint louis. >> watch murphy, hit a long

drive off to right field, about to go off the wall. in stepped the ball goes into the wall. >> separation in the wall there, bet no one thought a ball would be hit precisely into the spot. a ground ruled double. murphy scored on the next play. mets went on to a rare victory. 5-2. >> you have that one. >> rare victory. 15th win of the season for the mets. against 23 losses. ouch. >> and baseball, 162 games the season. think you have seen it all. watching baseball all your life. then something like that happens. always something that its new. >> everybody panics when you lose 15 games. there is all most 200 games. lose the 100. >> over. stick a fork in them. >> come on. >> yeah, come on. no, they don't have what it takes. >> their biggest fan. if you are a mets' fan. >> they're done. i have to concur. >> okay. >> coming up, the subtle change in miley cyrus' appearance. a wisconsin man fortunate to be alive after a very assertive bear wanted a piece of him. the bear refused to go away

after some dramatic action. you're watching "world news now." ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lunesta. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lunesta. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal.

side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com there's a land of restful sleep, we can help you go there, on the wings of lunesta.

the next day, we sprayed febreze air effects and asked real people what they thought. i can't believe i don't smell any of this. febreze did a really great job. impressive. febreze air effects eliminates tough odors for good. febreze, breathe happy. ♪ a wisconsin couple and their

dog survived a bear attack after what seemed like a twelve round fight. >> first time in 20 years they owned a cabin they encountered an aggressive bear. jennifer ann wilson from our sister station in green bay has the story. >> reporter: jerry needeman won the fight. >> ten staples. in the back of my head and neck. >> reporter: with a 200-pound bear. >> 14 stitches in my ear, left ear he almost bit off. >> reporter: this is mattie, the beautiful labrador retriever who started this whole mess, she started chasing the bear. when the bear turned around and chased her, needeman came to the rescue. >> i came running out here into the driveway. shouting and waving my hand thinking that would scare the bear. >> reporter: instead the bear ran straight for him. >> i was so afraid the bear was going to get the dog that i didn't take time to go back inside and get a gun. so there i am, unarmed, and facing this insane bear. >> reporter: needeman tried to run away. >> he tackled me right here. you can see indentations on the

gravel where he jumped on me from the back. >> reporter: pinched to the ground, teeth sinking into his neck. needeman wasn't scared. >> so i was mad. while he is chewing on me and biting me, all i can think is, "if only i had a gun." >> reporter: at that moment his wife marie appeared. >> she came out of the cabin with the shotgun. unfortunately she didn't know how to load it. so it was an empty shot gun. >> reporter: marie hit the bear over the head. >> then the bear released me for a minute. >> reporter: the two ran inside the cabin, but the bear didn't give up. >> well he circled the cabin for an hour. he would stand on his hind legs and look through every one of the windows around the cabin. >> an hour later, a sheriff's deputy arrived and shot the bear and r who is now being who is now being test ford rabies. he was checked out of the hospital and released feeling very lucky. >> if it hadn't been for my wife coming out and pounding the bear

on the head i probably wouldn't be talking to you today. >> reporter: jennifer ann wilson, action 2 news. >> got to teach your wife to load a gun. >> pretty cool. took the shotgun. hit the bear in the head. rd ammo. wouldn't have done anything the bear. >> made a loud noise. >> make it upset more. >> one stalker bear. >> one lucky dog. >> no kidding. >> he has good owners. >> could have been a lot worse. >> true. coming up, family drama among michael jackson's relatives, once again. get the details on serious allegations. what is behind david beckham's stunning career decision. we'll have that next in

♪ skinny so skinny >> time for "the skinny." we start with retirement announcement. david beckham. at age of 38 is retiring from soccer. thank god almighty he is not retiring from modeling underwear. >> not retiring from being a stud. that's a lifetime job. >> he has become an

international brand, transcending soccer in more ways than one. he has his own, everything, perfume, sure he has his own line of clothing. really doesn't matter. this is what he looks like with no clothes on. that's all he needs to have in order to continue to make money. >> take acting lessons. looking as good as he does if he could act. >> i said it earlier this week, nobody and i repeat, nobody bends it like beckham. >> nobody bends it like beckham. put that one up on the chalkboard. >> i just made you say that. that's great. that's better than me saying it. >> did i say it little too convincing. >> it doesn't matter. >> nah, not this lifetime. >> what have you got? >> jermaine jackson shocked over the molestation claims of his nephew. listen to this. said he couldn't believe it when he heard nephew's taj claim that a family member molested him. as a child.

he told tmz he never heard that. taj jackson, one of tito's son, made this allegation on twitter. claiming an uncle on his mother's side, sexually abused him as a child. michael jackson counseled him through the trauma. headannouncement, taj did, in an attempt to discre wayne robson's allegations against mj. this is how high know wade is lying. because i am a survivor. >> wow. check that out. that might be the first time i have ever heard somebody come out in defense to say this is the reason i know michael jackson is not in any kind of way a child molester. he went through trial. wade robinson coming up. seems every time the two words come together everyone says michael did it. this is the first time i heard someone say this is why he didn't. that's really cool. now we have something funny. everyone is a fan of "downton abbey." including your self. >> great show. >> p-diddy the rapper, tweeted he was so happy he announced he will become a season regular on "downtown abbey" his favorite show.

debuting a sneak peek. the show said that was bogus and not going to happen. and then, this happened. >> i'm lord wilcott and the new owner of downtown abbey. >> this is carson, we would be lost without him. >> pleasure to meet you, carson. >> he introduces himself as lord wilcott. this happens after he says i am the first black cast member on downtown, "downton abbey" whatever the bleep it is called. if you have sense of humor. it's hilarious. he's been digitally inserted into all the famous scenes of "downton abbey." >> i don't watch a lot of tv. dramas like this. i wandered into the room it was on. i sat down. i got hooked. >> if nothing else, p-diddy brought "downton abbey" to a group of people who have no idea what it is about.

may keep it on their television, i m because of the p-diddy spoof. >> if you look at downton abbey say you don't want to watch that show, it's like "dallas" salacious. great stuff. it's great. >> you don't expect it. >> strangely, the lives of these british people is so much like ours. >> p-diddy brought it to a different platform. everyone will be watching. "downton abby." >> listen to this, miley cyrus. her ring is back on. >> what? thought she was not engaged. >> engagement ring. blasted rumors her relationship with liam helmsworth was on the rocks, with liam was on the rocks. taken things further. she is wearing her engagement ring again. her and hemsworth announced their engagement. things have not been smooth since that time in march. she spent time with his family in australia and cyrus last month. told abc news she wasn't sure if the couple would make it down the aisle. i am home with my boyfriend all the time. we are working. so there you go. >> they're 20 years old.

break it off in two minutes. get back together two minutes later. >> who knows when you are 20. off on, off on. nows when you are 20. off on, off on. [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic. the towel that's 50% stronger. in this lab demo even just one select-a-size sheet of bounty basic is stronger than one full sheet of the leading bargain brand. everyday life? bring it with bounty basic. the strong, but affordable picker-upper. and can cost thousands of dollars to repair. thankfully the powerful dual action formula of rid-x has enzymes to break down waste... and time-release bacteria to reduce tank build up.

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the resolve easy clean system. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. ♪ finally, a look back at the headlines this week. an interesting mix of political, courtroom and personal drama. >> we begin with a story that is likely to stay with us for quite some time. here is our "friday rewind." >> i will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency but especially in the irs given the power that it has. and the reach that it has in all of our lives. >> i don't care if you are conservative, liberal, democrat, republican, this should send a chill up your spine. >> i could never think of doing anything like that. if i knew, i would have reported it. >> brother or no brother.

>> abortion clinics are unregulated across our country. every year we see the deaths of women inside these abortion clinics. >> i didn't break into anybody's room. i didn't beat up anybody. the guy acknowledged it was my stuff. >> bang, the ice came right through the living room here. he said "grab your purse. grab whatever you can, get the keys. we got to get out of here." and i saw the ice just coming, just, moving so quickly. >> all of a sudden this, started swelling. you could see stuff going through here. started hitting the house. >> jolie's mastectomy and reconstructive process began in february. she kept it private and carried on with her work. here she is on the red carpet in february, just days after what

we now know was her first procedure. >> fantastic, the american spirit isn't it? everybody getting together and making things right. the governor has been absolutely fantastic. you can see how many people have come out. everyone is working together. >> people say who was your mentor, i didn't have any. today if a young woman says i grew up watching you or you made it a little easier, david, i think that's my legacy. >> so, if you are feeling lucky, this is the week to play the lotto. we have $190 million in mega millions for tonight. powerball for saturday, $550 million. >> $550 million? >> this will not be happening next friday if i win. this weekend. >> you'll be on a slow boat to tahiti. >> whoo, no question about it. any big plans for the weekend? >> just chill. >> grill and chill. that's what you said. >> everything in the summer months.

>> everything in the summer months. >> very nice.

♪ in moments of grief, we are there. when the world looks for truth, broadcasters come through -- se fails. today, with more ways than ever to experience the moments that transform our lives, americans still choose broadcast television and radio more than all other media combined. television and radio are still the most trusted sources for news and entertainment, and our web and social sites are among the most visited sites in our daily lives. when important moments happen, both big and small, we're the first informers to history. we are the pioneers, the innovators, the local broadcasters of radio and television.

good morning. i'm diana perez. here are some of the top headlines we are following on "world news now." another day of clean-up in north texas after the deadly tornados. the national weather service now says one of the twisters had winds close to 200 miles an hour. as many as 16 twisters hit the area. final witnesses and final arguments are set for today in the nevada courtroom in the o.j. simpson case. he wants a new trial after his robbery and kidnapping conviction. today the lawyer for o.j. simpson that he accused of misrepresenting him is set to testify. jurors in the jodi arias sentencing trial were moved to tears as the victims' family members testified. travis alexander's siblings

described their devastation following his murder. arias will testify monday. and lottery fever is sweeping the nation. tonight's mega millions drawing is worth $190 million. tomorrow night's powerball jackpot, a near record $550 million. those are just some of the top stories that we are following this friday, may 17th. >> we begin this half-hour with the scandal of the irs targeting the tea party group. one of the men who resigned because of it is set to testify on capitol hill. and president obama is looking to get past the scandal. abc's tahman bradley is covering these developments. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: diana, john, good morning. president obama is pushing back hard. he says he is angry about the irs scandal and is going to clean it up. more damage control at the white house. president obama weathering rain drops and the irs storm. >> my main concern is fixing a

problem. >> reporter: the president says he will make sure anyone involved in unfairly targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status is held accountable. >> looking forward to working with congress to -- to fully investigate what happened, make sure it doesn't happen again. >> reporter: mr. obama admitted he first learned about the controversy from the media and said that a government watch dog report about the scandal made him angry. after announcing the forced resignation of acting commissioner, the president named his replacement. we also learned a second official, the man in charge of the agency's exempt and government entities division announced his plan to retire. the fbi launched a criminal investigation. republicans are making it clear they're not dropping the issue. >> somebody made a decision to do this. i doubt it was low level employees in cincinnati field c

supporters gathered on capitol hill with people who claimed they were victimized by the irs. >> the power to tax is the power to destroy. >> republicans are now linking the irs scandal to implementation of obama care. they say the irs can not be trusted to administer the tax breaks and credits included the health care overhaul. the official in charge of tax-exempt organizations during the time the irs targeted conservatives now runs the irs office responsible for health care. john, diana. >> thank you, n. now, a man from former soviet republic of uzbekistan makes an appearance in fedel c to on tr ch to ise,h idaho, the 30-year-old man is accused of conspiring with a known terror group in his home country. prosecutors say he was involved in a scheme to use a weapon of mass destruction. in the investigation of the

boston marathon bombing, abc news has learned the fbi searched an apartment in manchester, new hampshire. the home of a former rebel leader from chechnya. the man admits to meeting with tamerlan tsarnaev, a month before the attack. but says he was not involved. also an official says the younger tsarnaev wrote anti-american rants on the inside of the boat where he was hiding from police. they include references to the wa nd an. army officials say the manager o thult response unit at fort cell area has been arrested for domestic dispute and relieved of the subject of sexual assault in the military was the focus of an emotional hearing on capitol hill. >> i am a rape survivor. >> the impact of the military sexual abuse scandal in the victims' own words. >> i am a veteran and survivor of rape and harassment in the military. >> within my first six months of service, i was raped at a party. >> reporter: the tearful

testimonials on capitol hill came before president obama met with top defense officials at the white house. a meeting he called out of frustration with the escalating crisis. >> not only is it a crime, not only is it shameful, and disgraceful, but it also is going to make and has made our military less effective than it can be. >> the issue has taken on urgency as bipartisan law makers introduced a bill that would take sexual assaults in the armed forces out of the chain and command and would prevent superior officers handling cases of subordinates or dismissing them altogether. >> when any single victim of sexual assault is forced to salute her attacker, clearly our system is broken. >> reporter: a point inrape survivors made over and over again. >> the system is rigged against the victims. one survivor was crying tears of hope -- hope that justice for military sexual assault survivors will finally start to change.

abc news, washington. a homeless hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who enjoyed brief internet fame charged with murder. prosecutors in new jersey say caleb mcgelvery killed a 73-year-old lawyer found dead in his home this week. mcgelvery's youtube video was seen 4 million times and made an appearance on kimmel's show. a man in florida tricking his girlfriend into taking a pill that caused her to have a miscarriage. 28-year-old, john andrew weldon, son of a fertility doctor. they met last year. she got pregnant, but he urged her not to have the baby. when she refused, he told her she needed to take an antibiotic for infection. he allegedly switched the antibiotic with abortion pills. he is being held without bond. if convicted could face life in prison. growing criticism over pat robertson's comments about husbands who cheat. it started when a woman called into robertson's show saying she wanted to forgive her man who strayed. robertson said the viewer should focus on why her marriage and married man had strayed in the

first place. advising she should try to fall in love with him again and then there was this bombshell. >> recognize, also, like it or not, males have a tendency to -- wander a little bit. you want to make a home so wonderful he doesn't want to wander. think of the temptations that are out there. the internet is filled with pornography. >> how about that? now, of course it's not the first time robertson made controversial comments. in january, he said that awful looking women can cause marriages to lose their spark. okay. here is something you don't see every day. car floating in a swimming pool. a wrong way driver smashed through a fence. a fort lauderdale hotel, hit a parked car. the impact sent the parked car plunging into the hotel pool. there it is again. amazingly nobody was in the pool

at the time. investigators are still trying to figure out what caused this crash in the first place. more than half a million dollars worth of gold arrived at miami airport earlier this week. then simply disappeared. a box containing the gold came in an american airlines flight from ecuador. in unloading the box vanished. police are pouring over tapes. to figure it out what happened. american airlines wants to speed up the boarding process by changing its policy. passengers who will not be putting carry-ons will board first. those passengers will be able to carry on smaller bags and purses. keep them under their seat. after testing this policy at seven airports, the airlines discovered it is more efficient. regular marijuana smokers are thinner than those that don't use. the pot smokers had smaller waist lines and had higher levels of hdl which is the good cholesterol.

they believe their findings suggest marijuana some how controls insulin and could be used some day to even manage blood sugar. a look at your weather for today. much of the country wet weather. showers, virginia, south to the gulf. severe thunderstorms from new orleans north to the great lakes. west into the dakotas. showers in the pacific northwest. temperatures here in the north east, ideal. mid 70s. but across the south. sizzling. readings in the high 90s near phoenix. nearing 100 degrees in parts of texas. the highs, 80s elsewhere. we love sharing pictures of adorable animals with you. this one is one of the trademarks of "world news now." take a look at this. this morning we have quite a treat from the pittsburgh zoo. that's where a 6 week old tiger cub went in for an important checkup. while making his debut in front of the news cameras, of course.

the cub ears were checked. okay there. heart, lungs doing perfect just as well. the kitty is staying close to his mom whose name is toma. he well do so until ready for solid foods. >> what a cutie pie. coming up, you probably received a phone bill with a surprising number at the bottom line, but wait until you hear the telephone bill adding up to $500,000. as it turns out as you can imagine, all part of a criminal connection. later on, the pole vaulter with incredible talent. her amazing leap into the air showing off her abilities. wait until you hear what she cannot do. quite an inspiring story on "world news now." we'll be right back. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by no-no hair removal.

we know a place where tossing and turning have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake.

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♪ crocks now have a hot new way to steal money from you from your phone. they hack into your phone lines and make thousands of calls in long-distance calls. it can be tough to get the charges removed. in the meantime, guess who is on the hook? you are. abc's linzie janis reports. >> reporter: one day this past march at melissa's real estate agency the phones started going crazy. her receptionist was overwhelmed. >> every time she picked up a line there wasn't anybody on the line. >> reporter: after that she got a pile of huge bills. one from her phone company for $14,000. from sprint, vartec, at & t where she doesn't have accounts.

total bill over $500,000. >> usually my phone bill runs about $320 a month. >> turns out she had fallen victim to a growing scam that could happen to you. hackers managed to steal her number and open multiple long distance accounts. they made calls to international toll numbers. they set up the numbers in somalia, new guinea, and azerbaijan. and collecting the profits. >> they will make as many phone calls before they get caught. >> reporter: the company acknowledged she had been hacked. but when she asked to remove the charges, it was not that easy. she called dozens of times. >> meanwhile, sitting here with $550,000 worth of phone bills which makes you not sleep at night. >> reporter: after being contacted by abc news, at&t and charter got back to melissa saying they would waive all the charges. a call for celebration. >> what a great day today is.

i've will have how to open a bottle of champagne. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> believe this or not -- more than 2,000 calls were made on this phone line mostly over just a 24-hour period. an incredible story. you'll always want to check your bill. that's me. calling john muller trying to figure out what is going on here. [ telephone busy signal ] in case you are wondering, he is feeling a little under the weather. i am here for you instead. taking a leap of faith. this athlete does it day after day. what we can learn from the high school pole vaulter soaring to new personal heights. you are watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues af

♪ your love is lifting me

♪ higher >> we are about to introduce you to a young woman who can fly without being able to see. because of her determination, her resiliency and her commitment to overcoming every single obstacle, she is a true inspiration. and that's why this is our "favorite story of the day." for this high school athlete there are always blessings to be counted. here with her story is abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: when charlotte brown runs down her lane with her pink pole vault and leaps into the sky you hold your breath. she is 15 years old and learned to fly. what is most amazing is she can't see. >> i can't make out a blur, really, it just blends in for me. >> reporter: she can't see the track or fancy color of her pole vault or faces of the people in the stand.

she is legally blind. doctors don't know why she started losing her sight when she was 16 weeks old. several surgeries later, none of it helped. she took to the pole vault like a champion. but how in the world does some one who is blind do so well at something that is challenging for anyone. this is what pole vaulting looks like to a sighted person. this is what it looks like to charlotte. she says it is like looking down t inside of a little black straw and seeing a blurry light at the end. so she has a system. her coach lays artificial turf next to her lane. she can see the difference between light and dark and it helps her run straight. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: she counts her steps and goes for it. and now, get this, she is not just any pole vaulter, the best her high school has ever seen. and one of the best in the entire country. clearing 11'6." >> when a kid comes in and talks to me about what they can't do. i just point to the picture of charlotte up there, i say you tell her that. >> reporter: not just her coaches think the world of her, there are her parents. >> don't say she can't do something.

if you do she will figure it out. >> reporter: and the letters that come from blind and visually impaired children from round the world. >> "dear charlotte, just wanted to say i read a story about you and it was awesome." >> reporter: today she is losing what little vision she has. it is getting worse. she is not worrying. she says an obstacle its just that. it can be moved. it can be jumped over. >> this story isn't about me. it is about all people that struggle with something. i think everyone struggles with something in life. this was my something. this is not the worst thing that ever happen. this isn't even a bad thing that could happen. this makes you a stronger person. >> the best her high school has ever seen. did you take a look at all those awards she has piled up. quite a remarkable story. now charlotte is getting a service dog next month. she says she uses the special strip, intense concentration and simply counts her steps, listens closely to her coach. that's how she is able to determine when to make her leap. she says the crowd around her

becomes quiet when she jumps over that vault. we'll be right back with "insomniac theater". [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses.

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>> and just in time for the weekend, time for "insomniac theater." well, the summer blockbuster season is certainly gearing up. this weekend we have "star trek into darkness" arriving. the second movie in the franchise directed by j.j. abrahams, featuring captain kirk and spock as young men. in this episode. the crew of "the enterprise" is called back home. that's where they find a source that puts the state of crisis. leave the hunt to capture mass destruction. plenty of action on the emotional front as well.

>> maybe it's me. >> it's not you. >> it's not? are you guys fighting? >> i would rather not talk about it. >> my god, what is that even like? >> ears burning. >> icy. the "l.a. times" says "star trek into darkness" ramps up action leaves room for heart. "the new york times" says it was like the tv show, "the office" only in outer space. no matter what the critics to say, expect the movie near the top of the box office. that's what we are predicting. now a movie at the other end of the spectrum. a very interesting one here. black rock came to the screen. through the sun dance film festival. black rock came to the screen. the story of three young women who go camping on a remote island off the coast of maine. a place they visited during children. but a trail of soldiers, are also there. the men are on a hunting trip. then things get out of control. the film becomes to story of

survival. >> does anyone mind if i check my phone quick. is that going to kill the mood? >> do what you got to do. >> urgent text situation. >> no addicted to my phone. lol. >> how many people say that anymore? >> oh. here. okay. >> this is one of the small films we are not too sure about around here. we'll bring in the commish, he is all knowing, all things. mr. jack over there. are you going to the movies this weekend? any of these entice you enough? >> no. >> no. >> no. actually none of them did to be honest. not even star trek. every guy loves star trek. >> not this guy. i don't know. >> this weekend, how about you play the lotto? >> definitely going to play the lotto. definitely going to watch the horse race saturday.

it could be fun. >> w

this morning on "world news now" -- deadly destruction. widespread damage and neighborhoods leveled after as many as 16 tornadoes tear through north texas. >> i just crunched down. >> families who lost everything trying to find cover and a place to stay. terror arrest, serious accusations, involving a man and a plot to use weapon of mass destruction. what agents are uncovering this morning. sole survivor at age of 4. the only person found alive after a major plane crash. as a grown adult she has an amazing story to tell. >> kind of hard not to think about it when i look in the mirror. i have visual scars. >> how she remind herself every day she is indeed a walking miracle.

it's friday, may 17th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now" with john muller and diana perez. good friday morning, everybody. we begin with widespread damage after the deadly texas twisters. six are known dead. seven people still unaccounted for. >> the threat of severe weather hangs over the region today. abc's marci gonzalez is in cleburne. good morning, marci. >> reporter: good morning. three tornados tore through cleburne, texas, you can see the incredible damage left behind. after the roar of the twisters that leveled homes here in north texas. >> oh, my god! look at it, it is right above us. >> reporter: the hum and buzz of progress. some of the power lines are already strung across the sky

once again. neighbors help neighbors pick up the treasured remnants what used to be home. >> hard to believe we weren't hurt or killed. truly god was watching over all of us. >> reporter: prayers answered and said for the six people killed and dozens injured as ten tornadoes descended at dusk tearing a destructive path through several communities. one an ef-4. packing winds up to 200 miles per hour. >> i was tightening that door, it was shaking. >> oh, my gosh. >> i was screaming. >> it's over. we are gone. >> reporter: residents scared and overwhelmed. >> i just broke down. i just don't know what to do from here. >> reporter: working toward recovery, one boarded window and helping hand at a time. clearly, that will take a lot of time. but i can tell you strangers

were coming through this neighborhood, offering what they could. food, water, even a place to sleep. john, diana. >> thanks to marci. storm damage was not limited to texas. powerful winds and torrential rain hit shreveport, louisiana. hotel and several homes are damaged. trees and power lines were blown down. thousands are without power. new jersey's governor wants to buy and destroy homes prone to flood damage. chris christie says the state will use $300 million in federal funds to buy 1,000 homes, including hundreds damaged by super storm sandy. once the homes are torn down the property will be turned into wetlands to prevent future flooding. a man from uzbekistan is in custody on terrorism charges. arrested in an apartment complex in boise. federal agents are looking for evidence. the man is known for conspiring with a terror organization in his home country. accused of a scheme to use a weapon as a mine it of mass

destruction. >> just gives me chills. even now talking about it. you know, like -- goose bumps hair on the back of my head. >> prosecutors say the man is in the u.s. legally and faces decades in prison. we should learn more today. new information about a possible motive at the bomb attack at boston marathon. massachusetts investigators tell abc news it comes in the form of writing apparently done by tsarnaev himself. here's brian ross. officials say as he lay bleeding before his capture. >> we have movement in the boat. >> reporter: tsarnaev used a black ink pen to scroll out his rants on the side panels of the boat. officials say he cursed america and wrote several other screens that americans deserve to die because of wars in iraq and afghanistan. officials say the messages

undercut contentions of his family and bizarre youtube video that he was innocent. a fun loving college student. >> one of the most sweetest people in the world. >> reporter: official showed abc news what was a photo of a message in the boat. praise allah. and the faintly written word, brother. reference to his older brother tamerlan who was killed. and lucky because he would get to allah first. >> whatever he has written on the side of the boat can be used against him in a court of law. nobody is going to be able to legally block it. >> reporter: the most important evidence may be the photos which officials say shows dzhokhar with hat on backwards about to plant the bomb to kill martin richard and maim the two norton brothers, paul and j.p. each of whom lost a leg. paul left the hospital. >> i can't imagine how some body could do something to innocent people. >> in another development, abc news has learned the fbi carried out a search warrant at the manchester, new hampshire, home

of a former chechen rebel leader now living there. authorities say his dna, samples of his fingerprints. and computer hard drives were all seized. meeting a month before the attacks but says he was not involved. brian ross, abc news, new york. miami police investigating the disappearance of more than half a million in gold at the airport. it arrived from ecuador aboard american airlines flight. when the container was unloaded. it disappeared. it was on its way to miami. precious metals company. it was worth $625,000. with the political firestorm over the irs targeting of tea party groups still growing we'll hear today from the former commissioner. steven miller who was forced to resign on wednesday is scheduled to appear at a congressional hearing this morning. his testimony comes as president obama confronts several scandals. abc's jonathan karl reports. >> reporter: the president got a little extra protection from the elements courtesy of the marines.

he could use more than an umbrella. >> my concern is making sure there is a problem in the government that we fix it. >> reporter: the problem? too many problems. most immediate. the irs targeting of conservative groups. in the years before the election more liberal groups were being approved while conservative groups like patriot, constitution and tea party were stymied. in 2011, not a single tea party group was approved. >> i am angry about it. >> reporter: plenty for the president to be angry about. an uncooperative his own justice department seizing phone records of journalists. the tea party, beaten down by last year is reenergized. is a big showing at the capital. >> the american people have not been told the truth. >> reporter: the president is so frustrated he reportedly joked about going forward.

>> you really haven't contributed any money to my campaign. >> reporter: the real white house plans to get back on offense. the president is shaking up the irs. a second irs official was ousted on thursday and he is trying to get back to his second-term agenda. on friday traveling to baltimore where he'll be talking up his plans for the economy. jonathan karl, abc new, the white house. there may be a new way to get a jolt of caffeine moments after you get out of your bed. colgate, patenting, caffeine in the bristles of a toothbrush slowly released during being used. and appetite suppression into the bristles for people on a diet. >> my husband says this is proof the government is watching him. he says. >> something in the bristles.

>> no he had the idea of caffeine infused toothpaste. not two weeks ago. >> someone beat him to it. >> he says the government is listening. >> great idea. >> it is. aapparently aspirin is the next one. wake up with a headache. gone. >> last two, three, months before it wears off. aspirin. two toothbrushes. one for caffeine and one for aspirin. >> and then your regular toothbrush, otherwise you're putting something constantly in your bod >> then the caffeine would be fine. >> i can do caffeine. >> when you go to bed, you can't y. have the caffeine. >> you need a different toothbrush for every moment of the day. colgate will make even more money. that's what they need, more money. talk about beginner's luck. a high schooler caught the biggest alligator caught in texas on his first attempt. the giant, 14 feet long. 800 pounds. he was the only alligator that the boy and his dad scored that day. >> is that real? >> they got another one. >> here it is. dad caught a ten footer. loaded that one on to the boat. no way they can fit the

14 footer the teenage son caught on their 17-foot boat. they had to tow it back to the amazement of everyone back on the shore. everything is bigger in texas. >> seems like the people on the banks were amazed by this naturally. because it's so massive. but they also, they let the dogs swim in that river and everything they have no idea something this incredibly big. >> you said it was 800 pounds. >> lurking. >> 800 pounds. take this to a butcher or alligator processor. they're going to get 20 pounds of meat back. >> man, oh, man. >> really? that's it? doesn't seem like enough meat. >> some boots. belts. all kinds of good things. coming up, are you guilty of indiscretions and cheating involving your netflix or dvr account? >> who is spending to learn as it clowns around. not as easy as it looks. you are watching "world news now."

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i switched. you should too, to natural instincts. >> fascinating documentary profiles four survivors of plane crashes the subjects in the film

were sole survivors of larger crashes. >> everyone considers them the lucky ones. the filmmaker found they, too, are victims. alex perez reports. >> reporter: 1987, northwest airlines flight, 255 crashing minutes after taking off from detroit's metro airport. killing 156, and leaving behind one tiny, 4-year-old miracle. at first authorities were adamant no passengers survived. the whole world is rooting for cecelia. >> she lost her mother, father and 6-year-old brother in the crash. now 26 years later she is telling her story. >> i think about the accident, every day. it's kind of hard not to think about it. when i look in the mirror, i have visual scars. >> reporter: sole survivor follows cecilia and the lone survivors of three others.

she has no memory of the crash but cannot forget the mo understood. i remember feeling angry, survivors' guilt. why didn't my brother survive? why me? >> reporter: it is believed she survived because her mother shielded her. one of the reasons kids have a better chance of surviving crashes than adults. also, their bones are less brittle more able to absorb impact. when it comes to the sole survivors of crashes more than half are children. cecilia is now cecilia crocker and happily married. flies regularly and even got this tattoo of an airplane on her wrist. >> so many things on my body against my will and i decided to put this on my body for myself. >> reporter: turning tragedy into a life of triumph. alex perez, abc news, droilt. >> raised by her aunt and uncle,

who shielded her completely from any media, which is why she is just now telling her story. that is a tough story to tell. >> truly amazing. >> quite an amazing girl. coming up, serious criticism aimed at commercial clowns. >> why professional clowns frown at those who don't take it as seriously as they should. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world

♪ ♪ tears of a clown >> here is a question for you, the season of graduations what happens to all the kids who spend most of their time in class clowning around. >> here is the answer, for people who want to get serious, there is a clown conservatory in

san francisco. we are "up all "nightline"" with nick watt. >> reporter: here at the clown conservatory here in san francisco, they take clowning very seriously. their mission to revive a maligned art. >> because saturday morning television shows and hamburger salesmen have made the clown castrated, if i can use the word. >> reporter: castrated the clown. >> we want to expand what people imagine for a clown. >> reporter: dan and joe run this place. they're taking the license, provided for centuries by the costumes and red nose. and messing with it. >> the clown recognizes no rules or boundaries. the clown can go anywhere. >> reporter: the freedom that taking on the clown persona gives you. >> absolutely. >> reporter: if you do it well. >> i want to see you have a tantrum with delight. the will to delight the audience

to make us want to see you. >> reporter: who are the students ponying up nearly $10,000 for intensive 20-week course in clowning. slapped knees of the masters. >> we'll train any one that comes. you walk through the door. we'll teach you clown. that's our job. >> derek is 30 years old. his first taste of clowning was in his early 20s. he meandered a little since. clowning is his calling in life. so dedicated to his calling. he is living in his van around the corner of the conservatory for the duration of his course. >> the clown is within everyone. like an intergalactic explorer. for me someone who can take chances, take risks, make fun of themselves. >> a few months ago, leah was a high school junior, dreaming of college. thk the plastic squirty

flower like. >> clown is innocence and honesty. an entertainer who could look at a sea full of people and make them feel things they're too afraid to feel. >> reporter: when in san francisco, i decided to do as the san franciscans do. >> one of us! one of us! one of us! >> reporter: no! you know, comedy is harder than tragedy and all that? i'm nick watt for "nightline," in san francisco. >> so, john, is a juggling connoisseur. >> i can juggle. we don't have anything to juggle. >> you have been offered all kind of things. has to be the right size. right weight. >> yeah, juggle a coffee cup, stapler, piece of paper. it has to weigh the same and it has to be round. >> you have to go to clown school to master your juggling. we have already been to clown school, can't you see? >> pretty good. not so bad. >> going to clown school, learn to clown, slapstick, mim all the things you need to know. >> mime scares me. coming up, spouses who cheat

on spouses when it comes to netflix. coming up. spouses who cheat on spouses when it comes to knenetflix. anyway, so my mom sent us these tide boost thingies to put in the wash with tide. together they're like twice as strong. yeah. so it's like bye bye stains, hello perfection. what? [ chuckles ] [ female announcer ] together, tide and tide boost double your power against stains that's my tide what's yours?

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time for "the mix." dia diana, have you ever committed adultery? >> i have not. >> netflix adultery. >> guilty. >> guilty? they're studying netflix adultery. in a study of 2,000 americans 12% watched tv ahead of their shows with their partners. supposed to save it for the partners. watch together. watched before the partner could watch. 10%, victims of netflix adultery. 2% are blissfully unaware or partners are cheating multiple times. multiple cheaters. >> worst you have been caught. i have no idea what is happening next. i don't know what the end of it is at all. >> 14% feel guilty. they confess. you know what i saw this, couldn't wait.

honesty the best policy. >> guess so. moving on to the incredible mcdonald's worker says that her car was stolen. right outside her home. goes to work manning the drive-through window. guess what pulls up, her stolen car. incredible. calls the cop. 22-year-old woman driving arrested. all stolen clothes in the car. she gets hauled off to jail, as you can expect. polka coming up! ♪ politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ scraps and filler from the day long as we don't have to pay ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so turn on "world news now" and lets everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal ♪ ♪ do the "world news" polka everybody!

♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ basic cable customers only ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's no viral video that people play and play it's more like an infection you can't make go away ♪ ♪ listen once to this refrain and it's burned into your brain ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ they give us no budget, no respect or camera crews ♪ we' ♪ but it's true at any cost we'd be desperate, we'd be lost without the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's the world news dah-dah-dah polka ♪ dah-dah-dah polka ♪

this morning on "world news this morning on "world news now," texas turmoil. the wide path of destruction and the search for those missing after a deadly outbreak of tornados outside dallas. legal fireworks. the sudden twist in the o.j. simpson case. who is testifying as simpson's legal team push for a new trial in las vegas. unforgettable scene. what this young mother did for a few moments while her daughter's stroller rolled off a commuter platform. an explanation from a frantic and grateful mom. career decisions. soccer star david beckham, why he is making a drastic move after so many years as a pro athlete. enjoying the spotlight. that's in the "the skinny" on this friday, may 17th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now" with john muller and diana perez. and we begin this half-hour in texas where they're picking

up the pieces after the deadly twisters some of the most powerful winds were close to 200 miles an hour. >> the area faces a threat of more severe weather today. here is abc's steve osunsami. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: the latest pictures deadly tornados that tore through texas are frightening and amazing. >> oh, my god! look at it, right above us. >> reporter: the pounding, giant hail. [ indiscernible ] >> the biggest i have ever seen. >> we have casualties and severe injuries we have multiple houses that are no longer there. >> reporter: police searching door to door. burning up the radio. >> we are going to need as many units as we can, we're going to have to dual search-and-rescue. >> reporter: families were trapped in their homes. six people were killed. 70 survivors sent to hospitals. >> there is a young girl, she was sucked out of her house. >> crazy. >> reporter: when the sun rose and she looked around --

>> it is amazing that we weren't hurt or killed. >> reporter: lisa montgomery said a prayer of thanks the tornado tore her home to pieces but she and her grandson hid in a bathroom and made it out alive. >> the door, i just like, shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking really bad. >> granbury suffered the most, a subdivision of homes many built for the poor by volunteers were wiped out by the twister. investigators say it was an ef 4 with wind speeds nearly 200 miles an hour. in cleburne, 23 miles southeast, we heard from the national weather service who thinks there may have been two tornadoes here. the most vicious, an ef 3, wind speeds 150 miles an hour. it almost missed the city then changed its mind. >> when it got past the city it turned to the left and headed north and towards cleburne. >> reporter: ken polegna and his family were in the way. >> still kind of shocked. >> reporter: they lost everything.

the utility companies are here. the power companies are here. getting the lights turned back on. the recovery starts now. it is not over yet, still watches and warnings in louisiana. steve osunsami, abc news. cleburne, texas. >> here is a look at your weather now -- big chunk of the country will see wet weather. showers from virginia south to the gulf. severe storms from new orleans north to the great lakes. west into the dakotas. showers in the pacific northwest. >> scorcher across the south. temperatures in the high 90s in phoenix. nearing 100 in parts of texas. high 80s everywhere else. mid 70s here in the northeast. jurors in the jodi arias sentencing trial cried during testimony from the victims' family. travis alexander's siblings describing how their lives are torn apart when he was murdered. his sister broke down on the stand. >> travis was our strength. our constant beacon of hope.

our motivation. and his presence has been ripped from our lives. >> now the penalty phase of the trial is set to resume monday when arias is expected to address jurors. final arguments set for today in a hearing that will determine if o.j. simpson gets a new trial in his armed robbery and kidnapping case. but before the final arguments, expect fireworks from simpson's former attorney and surprise witness. here is brandi hitt. >> reporter: seconds after the last witness left the stand thursday a new development was revealed in the o.j. simpson hearing. a last-minute witness could take the stand for the clark county district attorney's office. >> they're talking about potential witness which we object to. >> reporter: simpson's attorneys left the courthouse without speaking to reporters about who the witness is or what they may reveal. as simpson fights for a new obry and kidnapping conviction. >> i didn't break into anybody's

room. i didn't beat up anybody. the guy acknowledged it was my stuff. >> reporter: handcuffed to the stand the 65-year-old testified wednesday, his former lead attorney, yale galanter mishandled his case and never advised simpson he had a legal right to confront two men who return his own sports memorabilia. >> did you trust mr. galanter? >> yes. >> reporter: expected to be high drama in court with galanter scheduled to testify. >> his reputation is on the line. simpson claims galanter never told him of a plea deal proposed by the prosecution. he has spent four years behind bars of a sentence that could last 33 years. >> he has got a pretty compelling case. that he was not defended properly. so it will be ultimately a credibility contest. >> reporter: the attorneys are meeting early this morning in the judge's chambers and will soon find out if any last minute witnesses can testify. brandi hitt, abc news, las vegas. the investigation into last

month's deadly explosion at a texas fertilizer plant is now complete. the cause declared undetermined. investigators have narrowed the possible number of causes to three. electrical problem at the plant, golf cart battery that may have ignited flammable materials or criminal act. the april 17th blast killed 15 people, injured 200 others. virtually leveled the small town of west. we are hearing from the mother of that child in philadelphia whose stroller accident has been seen around the world. this happened wednesday at one of philly's elevated subway stations. the stroller rolling on to the tracks. carrying a 14-month-old girl, she suffered minor bumps and bruises. her mom is ecstatic her daughter wasn't seriously hurt. >> she is doing a lot better. a lot better than it actually looks. so, yeah, i am extremely happy. and very much blessed. >> how cute is that little girl?

she said it happened in a split second. the stroller rolled away when she turned around to look at the clock. the stroller moved. the platform is slanted towards the track to allow the rain water to drain off. i got a better idea. >> hardest individually to -- video to watch. >> so hard. >> angle rain water the other way and have a grate that goes down. >> she is apparently saying she would have preferred the transit system had, had a sign posted some where that says hey it is slanted. you know, careful. if you have got a stroller. transit workers are saying how about this, lock your stroller. how about that? >> lock the stroller. that's the moral of the story, right. >> i can't see the video again. now she has spoken. let's move on. here is a highlight that makes resident mets' fan, john muller happier this morning. happened yesterday afternoon. mets' victory in saint louis. >> watch murphy, hit a long drive off to right field, about to go off the wall. in stepped the ball goes into the wall.

>> separation in the wall there, bet no one thought a ball would be hit precisely into the spot. a ground ruled double. murphy scored on the next play. mets went on to a rare victory. 5-2. >> you have that one. >> rare victory. 15th win of the season for the mets. against 23 losses. ouch. >> and baseball, 162 games the season. think you have seen it all. watching baseball all your life. then something like that happens. always something new. >> everybody panics when you lose 15 games. there is all most 200 games. lose the 100. >> over. stick a fork in them. >> come on. >> yeah, come on. no, they don't have what it takes. >> their biggest fan. if you are a mets' fan. >> they're done. i have to concur. >> okay. coming up, the very subtle change in miley cyrus' appearance. a wisconsin man fortunate to be alive after a very assertive bear wanted a piece of him. the bear refused to go away after some dramatic action. you're watching "world news now." ♪

>> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lunesta. >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by lunesta. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness.

ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com there's a land of restful sleep, we can help you go there, on the wings of lunesta.

the next day, we sprayed febreze air effects and asked real people what they thought. i can't believe i don't smell any of this. febreze did a really great job. impressive. febreze air effects eliminates tough odors for good. febreze, breathe happy. ♪ a wisconsin couple and their dog survived a bear attack after what seemed like a 12-round fight.

>> first time in 20 years they owned a cabin they encountered an aggressive bear. jennifer ann wilson from our sister station in green bay has the story. >> reporter: jerry needeman won the fight. >> ten staples. in the back of my head and neck. >> reporter: with a 200-pound bear. >> 14 stitches in my ear, left ear he almost bit off. >> reporter: this is mattie, the beautiful labrador retriever who started this whole mess, she started chasing the bear. when the bear turned around and chased her, needeman came to the rescue. >> i came running out here into the driveway. shouting and waving my hand thinking that would scare the bear. >> reporter: instead the bear ran straight for him. >> i was so afraid the bear was going to get the dog that i didn't take time to go back inside and get a gun. so there i am, unarmed, and facing this insane bear. >> reporter: needeman tried to run away.

>> he tackled me right here. you can see indentations on the gravel where he jumped on me from the back. >> reporter: pinched to the ground, teeth sinking into his neck. needeman wasn't scared. >> so i was mad. while he is chewing on me and biting me, all i can think is, "if only i had a gun." >> reporter: at that moment his wife marie appeared. >> she came out of the cabin with the shotgun. unfortunately she didn't know how to load it. so it was an empty shot gun. >> reporter: marie hit the bear over the head. >> then the bear released me for a minute. >> reporter: the two ran inside the cabin, but the bear didn't give up. >> well he circled the cabin for an hour. he would stand on his hind legs and look through every one of the windows around the cabin. >> an hour later, a sheriff's deputy arrived and shot the bear who is now being tested for rabies he was checked out at the hospital and released, feeling very lucky. >> if it hadn't been for my wife coming out and pounding the bear on the head i probably wouldn't be talking to you today.

>> reporter: jennifer ann wilson, action 2 news. >> got to teach your wife to load a gun. >> pretty cool. took the shotgun. hit the bear in the head. >> all they had was bird ammo. wouldn't have done anything to the bear. >> made a loud noise. >> make it upset more. >> one stalker bear. >> one lucky dog. >> no kidding. >> he has good owners. >> could have been a lot worse. >> true. coming up, family drama among michael jackson's relatives, once again. get the details on serious allegations. what is behind david beckham's stunning career decision. we'll have that next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny sokinny ♪ skinny so skinny >> time for "the skinny." we start with retirement announcement. david beckham. at age of 38 is retiring from soccer. thank god almighty he is not retiring from modeling underwear. >> not retiring from being a stud. that's a lifetime job. >> he has become an international brand,

transcending soccer in more ways than one. he has his own, everything, perfume, sure he has his own line of clothing. really doesn't matter. this is what he looks like with no clothes on. that's all he needs to have in order to continue to make money. >> take acting lessons. looking as good as he does if he could act. >> i said it earlier this week, nobody and i repeat, nobody bends it like beckham. >> nobody bends it like beckham. put that one up on the chalkboard. >> i just made you say that. that's great. that's better than me saying it. >> did i say it little too convincing. >> it doesn't matter. >> nah, not this lifetime. >> what have you got? >> jermaine jackson shocked over the molestation claims of his nephew. listen to this. said he couldn't believe it when he heard nephew's taj claim that a family member molested him. as a child. he told tmz he never heard that. taj jackson, one of tito's son, made this allegation on twitter. claiming an uncle on his mother's side, sexually abused

him as a child. michael jackson counseled him through the trauma. he made the announcement, taj did, in an attempt to discredit wayne robson's allegations against mj. this is how high know wade is lying. because i am a survivor. >> wow. check that out. that might be the first time i have ever heard somebody come out in defense to say this is the reason i know michael jackson is not in any kind of way a child molester. he went through trial. wade robinson coming up. seems every time the two words come together everyone says michael did it. this is the first time i heard someone say this is why he didn't. that's really cool. now we have something funny. everyone is a fan of "downton abbey." including your self. >> great show. >> p-diddy the rapper, tweeted he was so happy he announced he will become a season regular on "downton abbey" his favorite show. debuting a sneak peek. the show said that was bogus and not going to happen. and then, this happened.

>> i'm lord wilcott and the new owner of downtown abbey. >> this is carson, we would be lost without him. >> pleasure to meet you, carson. >> he introduces himself as lord wilcott. this happens after he says i am the first black cast member on downtown, "downton abbey" whatever the bleep it is called. if you have sense of humor. it's hilarious. he's been digitally inserted into all the famous scenes of "downton abbey." >> i don't watch a lot of tv. dramas like this. i wandered into the room it was on. i sat down. i got hooked. >> if nothing else, p-diddy brought "downton abbey" to a group of people who have no idea what it is about. may keep it on their television, because of the p-diddy spoof.

>> if you look at downton abbey say you don't want to watch that show, it's like "dallas" salacious. great stuff. it's great. >> you don't expect it. >> strangely, the lives of these british people is so much like ours. >> p-diddy brought it to a different platform. everyone will be watching. "downton abby." >> listen to this, miley cyrus. her ring is back on. >> what? thought she was not engaged. >> engagement ring. blasted rumors her relationship with liam helmsworth was on the rocks. taken things further. she is wearing her engagement ring again. her and hemsworth announced their engagement. things have not been smooth since that time in march. she spent time with his family in australia and cyrus last month. told abc news she wasn't sure if the couple would make it down the aisle. i am home with my boyfriend all the time. we are working. so there you go. >> they're 20 years old. n o minutes. get back together two minutes later. >> who knows when you are 20. off on, off on. 20.

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♪ ♪ finally, a look back at the headlines this week. an interesting mix of political, courtroom and personal drama. >> we begin with a story that is likely to stay with us for quite some time. here is our "friday rewind." >> i will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency but especially in the irs given the power that it has. and the reach that it has in all of our lives. >> i don't care if you are conservative, liberal, democrat, republican, this should send a chill up your spine. >> i could never think of doing anything like that. if i knew, i would have reported it. >> brother or no brother. >> abortion clinics are

unregulated across our country. every year we see the deaths of women inside these abortion clinics. >> i didn't break into anybody's room. i didn't beat up anybody. the guy acknowledged it was my stuff. >> bang, the ice came right through the living room here. he said "grab your purse. grab whatever you can, get the keys. we got to get out of here." and i saw the ice just coming, just, moving so quickly. >> all of a sudden this, started swirling. you could see stuff going through here. started hitting the house. >> jolie's mastectomy and reconstructive process began in february. she kept it private and carried on with her work. here she is on the red carpet in february, just days after what we now know was her first procedure. >> fantastic, the american

spirit isn't it? everybody getting together and making things right. the governor has been absolutely fantastic. you can see how many people have come out. everyone is working together. >> people say who was your mentor, i didn't have any. today if a young woman says i grew up watching you or you made it a little easier, david, i think that's my legacy. >> so, if you are feeling lucky, this is the week to play the lotto. we have $190 million in mega millions for tonight. powerball for saturday, $550 million. >> $550 million? >> this will not be happening next friday if i win. this weekend. >> you'll be on a slow boat to tahiti. >> whoo, no question about it. any big plans for the weekend? >> just chill. >> grill and chill. that's what you said. >> everything in the summer months. >> very nice. hope you guys have wonderful pl

making news in america this morning, the stunning toll of a sudden disaster. a community destroyed by a tornado begins picking up the pieces. heartbreaking testimony in the jodi arias case. the family of the man she killed tells the jury of the devastating physical and emotional toll his loss has caused. and new this morning, from strangers to heroes. a group of good samaritans joins in a life-saving act lifting an suv off of a little girl. and more than a half billion dollars could be yours, all yours this weekend. all you have to do is get that one single ticket, that 1 in 175 million that's a very, very lucky one.